I Want to Hear it From You
by perpetual-estrangement
Summary: The Save Henry crew are filled in by the newly-arrived Neal on just what kind of person Captain Hook is and Emma's not exactly buying it. ONESHOT


**Originally posted on Tumblr. I'm just putting it with the rest of my stories. Thanks for reading! -Dani**

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"Where are you going?" Neal snapped as Emma brushed past him to follow the pirate into the trees.

"Mind your own business!" she snapped back, not slowing her pursuit.

Neal was back from the dead in spectacular fashion. Apparently he'd found daddy in the jungle and learned some new tricks. A tracking spell later and bam, he was back with 'I love you, Em' on his lips. And when he learned that Hook was helping them all find Henry, he blew a fuse, hollering about how the pirate could absolutely not be trusted, that he was a villain, that he only cared about himself, that when Neal was a kid, Hook sold him out to the Lost Boys and Pan.

Emma watched the entire scene with a nagging ring in her head that she recognized as her lie detector. Something wasn't quite right with all the details, but Hook… Killian (because he really had not earned that moniker during their stay in Neverland) Killian simply stood and took it. He didn't fight it, he didn't argue, he just stood with his head lowered, his teeth grinding and hurt in his clear blue eyes. He'd finally had enough and spun on his heel, stalking through the jungle to get away and Emma was on his heels in an instant.

She wasn't sure why. But her heart ached a bit at the hurt she saw in the pirate's eyes.

Those accusations didn't match up with the pirate she knew.

"What the bloody hell are you doing out here, Swan?" Killian's voice slid out from the dark jungle in a clearing a good distance from the camp, and Emma's eyes quickly found him, back to her, his forehead resting against a tree. His tone was angry but she wasn't going to let him scare her off.

"Came to check on you."

He scoffed. "Lass, I've lived over three hundred years without anyone to 'check on' me. Go back to camp."

"No," she replied stubbornly. He was hurting and, dammit, she didn't like it on bit. She wasn't going anywhere.

Killian spun from the tree and got in her face, eyes ablaze with angry fire. "Dammit, Emma, go back! A _villain_ doesn't merit your concern!"

"You're not a villain!" she hollered back, not backing down from their toe to toe stance.

Killian did, however, and he turned abruptly away, pacing angrily. Emma could read the fury in his body. He needed to snap, he needed a fight.

She was pretty good at fights.

Emma drew her sword from her back and the ringing, metallic sound successfully got his attention. "Come on, then. Let's go," she said casually.

"Swan, I'm in no mood to play," he growled.

"I'm not playing."

And with that she lunged at him. Killian snapped into action, sidestepping her blade and drawing his own, a reaction more than anything.

"Swan -"

Emma cut him off as she swung her sword at him. She wasn't aiming to hurt him, but she put some force behind the strike and as their blades met, the crash of metal resounding like a war cry. Killian wasn't the only one with some emotions to let out due to Neal's sudden reappearance and asshole act. He finally gave in and they fought, blades clashing and mixing with the sounds of their breathing and the occasional grunt of exertion. He was a thousand times better than her and the fury in him kept his attacks solid and forceful. Emma hung with him, much to her surprise, and her own attacks were just as angry and serious. The blows he delivered, however, gradually made her arms tired and before long, Killian knew it.

In a swift move, he locked blades with her and invaded her space, knocking her to the ground. In the few seconds she had, Emma braced for her head to smack the ground but instead she landed softly in Killian's hand, his sword tossed aside. He had her on her back again, but instead of towering over her with teasing in his eyes like that day at the lake, he had fallen with her and was braced on his hook and knees over her, his hand still cradling her head, and his eyes, while still angry, were softening just the slightest.

"Feel better?" she breathed, panting a bit from their fight.

The rest of his anger left the blue of his eyes, that somehow shined bright even in the dark night, and they flooded with something that was a mixture of guilt and gratitude. Killian stood and Emma tried to squelch the disappointment she felt but he offered his hand to help her up. They stood close, sharing the same air, but Killian wouldn't hold her gaze. He was suddenly very interested in the ground.

"What happened?" Emma asked gently.

"I believe you heard the story from Neal's mouth." He was cold, frantically reinforcing his defenses, a move that Emma knew all too well.

"I want to hear it from you."

The clear blues were back on her, angry and impatient. "I used him to find a way to kill his father and then tossed him to the Lost Boys."

Emma leaned in, undaunted, and whispered, "Bullshit."

Killian was stunned for a moment, but then he did the craziest thing. He let her in.

The blue eyes closed and Killian shook his head briefly, a small, tired laugh leaving his lips. "He was Neal to you, Emma lass, but he was Baelfire to me." He paused and Emma waited patiently for him to continue. "I offered him family, a home, but he blamed me for her death, for ripping his family apart. I begged him to stay," he whispered, almost embarrassed to be admitting things that he had kept buried for so long.

Emma felt her heart clenching for the pirate who was still closing his eyes to the memories and, unable to stop herself or think better of it, she reached up and cupped his cheek, smoothing the scruff on his face with her thumb. Killian leaned into her touch, the gesture successfully scaring and warming her, and she knew it was only fair that she do some sharing as well.

"He left me too," she whispered, hoping and praying that he didn't hear the way her voice cracked.

Killian finally opened his eyes, meeting hers with an intensity that she couldn't identify, and took her by the wrist with his good hand and gently kissed her palm.

"Sorry, for knocking you down," he murmured after a long moment, the sound mixing with the night calls of bugs and birds in the sticky jungle surrounding them.

"Yeah, well, it's not the first time you've had me on my back," she said dryly, hoping humor would help the nerves she was suddenly contending with.

Killian laughed softly. "Are you flirting with me, love?"

_He_ was flirting with her with that question but it lacked his usual fire, the overwhelming sensuality that he often carried with statements like that.

"You wish."

"I do."

Emma felt the blush explode on her face and desperately hoped the darkness was helping to conceal it. Memories of his 'Perhaps I would' invaded her thoughts. It was the same tone, the same honesty, the same listen-I'm-trying-to-tell-you-something that scared her so much, but she didn't run this time.

This time she smiled.

This time she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him.

Killian buried his face in her neck and sunk into the embrace, his arms tightening around her frame. The tough, leather-clad pirate needed the comfort and Emma wanted to give it, though, she wouldn't let herself think about what that implied, but as she ran her fingers through his soft, dark hair, soothing him in a way that came so frighteningly natural, Emma knew she cared about the man in her arms just a little more than she may have previously thought.

Maybe even a little more than that.

So, when his lips tentatively kissed the curve of her neck in the briefest of touches, she didn't pull way, and when she felt like returning the gesture, she didn't stop herself, and placed an equally hesitant kiss on his jaw, terrified of what she might be starting. She forgot, however, that Killian Jones was a gentleman, and he no doubt read her fear and didn't press her. And when they took their time walking back to the camp, their fingers entwined. A promise to stick together, to guard the other from their own demons, and to slowly explore whatever song was softly singing between them.


End file.
